President Donald Trump has directed his attorneys to conduct a sweeping review of the Smithsonian Institution and other U.S. museums, accusing them of being “the last remaining segment of woke” culture and focusing too heavily on slavery and other negative aspects of American history. In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said the assessment will follow the same playbook his administration used against universities, where federal funding was leveraged to compel policy changes. A White House letter dated Aug. 12 instructs Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch to submit exhibition plans, curatorial guidelines and America 250 programming materials within 30 days, begin staff interviews within 75 days and start “content corrections” within 120 days. The initial phase targets eight museums, among them the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of American History and the National Air and Space Museum. The administration argues the institutions should highlight American “success and brightness” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. The Smithsonian, established in 1846 and comprising 21 museums and the National Zoo, declined to comment. Although it is legally independent, roughly 62 percent of its budget comes from congressional appropriations, giving the White House potential leverage if it seeks funding cuts. Civil-rights groups and museum scholars warn that the probe amounts to political interference and could censor scholarship on slavery and other critical periods of U.S. history. Trump’s move extends a broader campaign to reshape cultural and educational institutions. Over the past month the administration reached settlements worth $221 million with Columbia University and $50 million with Brown University after similar investigations; talks with Harvard continue. A White House official said “all options” remain on the table to “get the woke out” of the Smithsonian if the forthcoming review finds exhibits at odds with the president’s directives.